Wednesday, December 30, 2009

I can't believe I haven't posted a video recipe for cream of mushroom soup! It's such a classic cool weather staple, and quite simple to make – as long as you have a few hours to spare.

The secret to this deep rich potage is a long slow caramelization, the key to unlocking the mushroom's magic. Oh, and by the way, I mean that literally. Mushrooms are by far the most mysterious and magical things we eat.

Scientists still don't really understand how and why they grow like they do. While every other food you eat gets its energy from the sun, Agaricus bisporus, the common button mushroom, does not. Some believe mushrooms are powered by the moon, which I find fascinating to contemplate.

This is a very minimalist formula, and meant to transform the browned bits of fungus into pure earthy essence of mushroom. You can use whatever exotic mushrooms you can get a hold of, but it works quite well with the ubiquitous white button mushroom. Enjoy!

I was just looking for soup recipes so this is timely. I added 2 strips of bacon to the saute and deglazed with 2 shots of brandy, added stock, added a buerre manie, pureed 1/2 the mushrooms and added the cream. Great video as always.

I love mushrooms and I am amazed at how fast the wild ones grow. They just pop up over night and grow tall. I watched one in Florida. It was tall and pointed and after 2 days it grew out like a big umbrella. It was at least 5 inches across.

yeah...chef John.I don't always have the time to comment on your videos.

I commented on a couple of them.

But I have you in my RSS reader and I watch every single one of your recipes, just like I would watch a soap I'm addicted to on TV.

Please keep doing what you're doing.

I'm gonna try this recipe, as I was trying others.you keep inspiring people.you are responsible for a generation of young cooks...as I'm pretty young myself...you taught me a lot.Mostly, you taught me the joy of cooking, of experimenting, of being curious.

OMGosh! I am so excited.Thank you! I think it was over a year ago that I told the foodwish fairy that my wish was a mushroom soup recipe. I was patient for a long time, and then had just sort of given up as it appeared you became busier and busier and busier. This is a delightful surprise. I have a little bottle of truffle oil that has been just waiting for this day. Happy New Year Chef John! Here's to a great year of success with foodwishes.com and all of your other ventures in 2010.

Wow This is a very minimalist formula, and meant to transform the browned bits of fungus into pure earthy essence of mushroom. I can use whatever exotic mushrooms I can get a hold of, but it works quite well with the ubiquitous white button mushroom.

I made this soup the day after discovering your blog/you-tube posts. I am in awe - Here is my story: I came home on a rainy Friday night after gathering all the ingredients on my way home - I didn't realize making this would take me a couple of hours so my hubby ate something else for dinner. I have never cooked mushrooms for that long (I used the small brown crimini mushrooms) And I have never smelled anything more fragrant and wonderful - In the end ... I used my stick blender to blend up the soup and it worked great EXCEPT I forgot to remove the herb bundle... strings and stems were a hindrance but even those did not ruin this delightful soup. THANK YOU!

seeing as how mushroom soup is by far and away my favourite of the liquid'ish meals, i had to try and make this myself. after 2 bowls in 5 minutes all i can say is, MORE PLEASE! ha. this is a really really great and simple recipe. i did however make a minor addition to the ingredients that i think most will also like to try. i added 2.5 pounds of mushrooms and another 0.5 pounds of BROCCOLI (which i put in at the same stage as the onions) since i now had 3 pounds of veggies and not 2, i simply added a 1.5 portion of all other ingredients. ie. 3 cloves garlic, 1.5 cups of water/cream, 6 cups stock etc. etc. i can't wait to make this for my mom! thanks again. your new number one fanrob

Hi chefI tried this recipie today while the snowflakes where falling outside. MAN! this is what i've been missing all my life. A new favorite! Thanks for sharing the secret. Greetings from Belgium.Oh... About those mushrooms... Mushrooms don't grow as regular plants. The little "sporuts" are already full-grown but they tend to pump themselves up with water much like a spagetti noodle or the blood in certain male bodyparts :-)

GREAT Soup! ... I really wanted to try this one, but didn't have any cream on hand and was reluctant to use only 1% milk that was in the fridge, so in stead of the cream I added a can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, and a little more water ... the results were great! This one goes on the "good for company" list!!! ... thanks.Ken

I THOUGHT I already posted this comment, but maybe I was wrong? I'll try again.

I finally got around to making this. I also caramelized the onions in a separate pot while the mushrooms were cooking, then added the onions to the mushrooms and continued on with the recipe as written, except I didn't bother making a 'bundle' of the thyme, I just stripped the leaves and tossed them in. I might use roasted garlic next time, plus some soaked dried wild mushrooms as well as the criminis. This is a fantastic soup. I did use my stick blender and ended up with 'liquid silk'. The weather is just screaming for soups and stews right now. I use my crock pot a lot at this time of year, so might try sauteeing the mushrooms and onions and adding them to the crock pot along with most of the rest of the ingredients so I can come home, use my stick blender, add the cream and turn the heat up until it's nice and hot. Thanks for all of your great ideas.

Just made it for dinner. Superb. However, some lessons learned: 1) Instead of removable thyme sprigs, I put the leaves in and left them. I thought the the soup a slight grassy taste that probably would not have been there if I had followed Chef John's directions. 2) I browned the mushrooms at too high of a heat for a few minutes too long (they went beyond what Chef John's looked like), and I also later wished I had not... there was a slight bitterness. 3) The onion I used was particularly potent, and I wished I had cut back on that by about 1/4.

I'm glad you reposted these soups because I hadn't found you back in 2009 yet. This soup turned out, in my humble opinion, amazing. As great as this soup was, I was left longing for some chunks of mushrooms in the silky goodness of the soup. So, next time I make this, and there will be a next time, I'll add a third pound of shrooms and after browning them set them aside for garnish and to chop up most of them to drop back in the soup after I puree it. By the way, I purchased a new kitchen toy before making this, a stick blender, and it worked great.

I absolutely love your recipe! It is by far the most amazing thing I have ever cooked (with your help, of course) Though, I did modify it by only pulsing the blender until the mushrooms were in tiny pieces that could still be tasted in the mouth. I loved that texture!

Made this tonight - very good! Chef John...what is the difference between mushroom soup and mushroom bisque? I had a mushroom bisque in a fancy restaurant and it was heaven. This is close but still different. Can you explain the difference between this soup and a bisque?